Six paramilitary troops killed, wounded in clashes with Islamic State in Iraq

Samarra (Iraqinews.com) – Six pro-government troops were killed and injured Tuesday in clashes with Islamic State in the Iraqi province of Salahuddin.

Speaking to Dijlah TV, a security source said, “Two personnel of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) were killed and four others injured in an armed confrontation with Islamic State militants in al-Farhatia district, southwest of Samarra.”

The clashes also left scores of Islamic State militants killed and wounded, according to the source.

The remaining IS militants left the scene immediately after the attack, he added.

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence earlier in November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.

IS declared a self-styled “caliphate” in a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014. A government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition, was launched in 2016 to retake IS-held regions, managing to retake all havens, most notably the city of Mosul, the group’s previously proclaimed capital.

Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.